Cumin chicken stew

Brrrrrrrrrr, it's winter. Okay, it's a California winter, which means rainy and 60. But it's outstanding one-pot weather. Here's what we ate last night as the storm blew in.

Cumin chicken stew

1 large yellow onion
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 bell pepper
2-3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano

2 chicken breasts

2 cans seasoned chicken broth, roasted garlic flavor (you can use regular broth if you want instead)
2 15-oz cans of beans, drained -- try black beans or garbanzos, depending on whether you want to think more about Mexico or Morocco
1 large can diced tomatoes with juice

1 c leftover rice (my favorite: Lundberg Farms short grain brown. I use it for everything.)

2 small zucchini
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1/2 bag frozen corn kernels
Any other veggies you have around that sound good

light sour cream or yogurt
lemon or lime wedges

Dice all vegetables in first group. Saute in olive oil, adding garlic at the last stage of sauteing.

Add spices and stir 1 minute to develop flavors. (Hint: if you are making this a more Moroccan-flavored dish, try adding some cinnamon. Sounds strange but it is divine!)

Dice chicken; add and cook until no longer pink. Add canned goods and stir. Heat through. Add last group of vegetables. Cook until they are tender -- perhaps 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve in bowls with sour cream or yogurt and lemon or lime.

Even better the next day, I say with my mouth full!